A conversation about Haley
by barrani
Summary: Emily and Aaron have a conversation with Jack about Haley. Hotch tells Jack about how he met Haley.


A/N So this was written for Thunder Brat as a thanks for being the 30th reviewer for Emily's very own stalker. My promt was Aaron and Emily talk to Jack baout Haley.

"Can I watch it?"

Emily looked at Jack for a moment and then nodded. She knew what it was. It was the home movies of Haley.

He didn't watch them as obsessively as he once did. She wondered if it was a good thing or a bad thing.

He climbed onto the couch and curled up into her side sabotaging any chance she had of leaving him to watch the movie alone. This was odd he always watched the movies alone, or on occasion with Aaron. Never with her.

"Do you want me to stay baby?"

He nodded. They sat in silence watching Jack and Haley playing soccer. "I miss her. Do you miss her too?"

Emily thought about how to answer that question. She had met Haley just before Reid had been kidnapped. And then when Haley had divorced Aaron, Emily had soon after started dating him. She had had some interesting encounters with Haley after that. There had been some not so nice words exchanged. Aaron had tried to keep the peace, but in the beginning it was more like Russia and the United States. A cold war, with the occasional skirmish.

It had been warming up though. Emily and Hotch had been dating for over a year and were living together. After a while the animosity between the two was taking its toll on Jack and Aaron. They had buried the hatchet, and we coming to an understanding when Foyet had happened.

They hadn't spoken at the hospital. Not even a perfunctory nod. Haley had been mad at Aaron, mad at him. Emily still couldn't believe that. Yes, her life as she knew it was effectively over, but it wasn't Aaron's fault. And then to have it end like that. She had never really thought about her feeling towards Haley, it had always been defined by the men she loved and their feelings. But did she miss Haley?

"I do baby. I met you mom a long time ago. She was very nice to me. Back then I didn't have many friends."

"What about Aunt JJ, and Aunt Penny, and Uncle Morgan, and Uncle Spence, and Uncle Dave?"

"I had only known them for a short time. We were still getting to know each other."

"But you and daddy were friends right?"

Great how are you going to answer this one? "Your dad and I's past is complicated?"

"Why?"

She should have known kids are naturally and innocently curious they want to about everything.

"We … were still trying to figure out who we were to each other. And we did it without talking?"

"How did you do that without talking?"

"Grownups can sometimes communicate without talking, but sometimes it leads to confusion and misunderstandings. Your mom though she was kind to me. That wasn't something I had experienced a lot of."

Emily didn't know why she was kind. Her and Aaron were attracted to each other even then. She knew it had been one more thing that had strained the marriage. But even then Haley was kind. Emily wished she could have spent more time with Haley before it went south. But it was too awkward. How do you spend time with a women when you want to sleep with her husband and have his children?

Hotch entered the living room and saw the TV playing the videos with Haley. "What are you guys doing?"

"Emmy was telling me about how she met mom. How did you meet mom daddy?"

Hotch stopped short he knew Haley had wanted him to tell Jack this story. She wanted Jack to know that he had once smiled and had even had a sense humor. But somehow he hadn't been able to. He hadn't been able to go back without it hurting too much. So he had let it slide, and tried to bury it. He reasoned he would tell Jack someday. Someday when it hurt less, for both of them.

"Daddy?"

Hotch sat down next to Jack on the couch. "Yes Jack. How I met your mother-."

"Please don't take six years to tell him this story."

"No comments from the peanut gallery."

"What's a peanut gallery?"

"It doesn't matter. I met your mom a long time ago. I was in high school. And I didn't have a lot of friends. I was a new kid. I had just started at that school. And you mom she was popular. I didn't know her. I didn't know anyone."

"Just like Emily."

Hotch looked first at his son then at Emily in confusion.

"I told him about when Haley and I met at the bar, back when I was new at the BAU, before people knew me."

Hotch nodded and continued his story, "So, it's the first day of school. And I'm walking by the theatre and there's this beautiful girl with long blonde hair. And I was instantly smitten. So without another thought in the world I followed this girl into the theatre. They were having auditions for a play, and before I realized it I was onstage in front of everyone. I was kind of shy back then, and I got stage fright and couldn't speak. Your mom she got up on stage with me, and started talking to me. And it was strange I wasn't comfortable around strangers. But I was comfortable around your mom. I started cracking jokes."

"You told jokes?" The awe in his son's voice was obvious.

"I did. Your mom she brought out my sense of humor. I got cast I the play. And your mom and I we spent all of our time together. I always wanted to be with her. She was funny, and she was easy going.

Your mom she showed me what love is. We were together all through high school. We manged to go to the same college, and after I graduated law school we got married."

"When did you have me daddy?"

"We didn't have you for a while. Daddy's work was always changing. But finally things started to settle down, and we had you. Now I think it's time for bed. Go brush your teeth."

"OK, daddy." Jack said as he scampered off.

"She was good for you, after what your father did."

"She was one of the major reasons I made it. She was the only one I knew that loved me."

"Do you regret it?"

"I regret how it ended. How we felt at the end. We deserved better. But we fell in love as kids, and when we got to be adults … It … It changed."

Emily didn't say anything just scooted over to him and gave him hug. Aaron pulled her onto his lap, and then sat there holding each other.

"I wish it could have been different between you too. She would have liked you, and you would've liked her."

"Well maybe we will see her again someday."

"Yeah maybe."

They stayed wrapped in each others embrace until eventually they drifted off into sleep.

A/N Review let me know what you think


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